


A Cure for Enemies

by reeby10



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Getting Together, Happy Ending, I have no idea when this takes place or what Harry's sick with or why Tom is Tom and not Voldie ok, I think I was in a fugue state when I wrote this tbh, M/M, Terminal Illnesses, Tomarry Secret Santa 2017, a little angsty, but probably less than you would think, hand wavy magic cure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 22:34:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13176606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reeby10/pseuds/reeby10
Summary: Harry's given three months to live, but there might be a cure... if he can get to it first.





	A Cure for Enemies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pinkbean123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkbean123/gifts).



> Happy holidays, pinkbean123! I hope you enjoy your Tomarry Secret Santa gift :)

“I’m sorry, Mr. Potter, it… it doesn’t look good,” the healer said, face pinched up like she would rather the words not come out of her mouth. “You’ve got three months at most. There’s nothing we can do.”

Harry felt his heart seem to seize up in his chest, mouth dropping open. “Nothing?”

“I’m afraid there’s no magic we know to help at this point,” she replied. “We can make you comfortable for the time you have left but-”

“No thank you!” Harry blurted out before the words even registered. He flushed a little in embarrassment, but didn’t back down. He didn’t want to die, but he especially didn’t want to die in a bed in St. Mungo’s.

The healer nodded, though she didn’t look convinced. “If you say so,” she said. “I suppose you’re free to go then.”

He left the hospital in a daze, barely registering signing the discharge papers. It was probably for the best, because he was almost certain he would have found only pity on the faces of the other healers and he wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready to give up.

It was a bit of a shock when he looked around to find himself in Ron and Hermione’s living room, having aparated there without even thinking. He trusted his instincts though, so perhaps they’d be able to figure something out. Hermione might not be a healer, but she was the brightest witch in Britain, so if there was some cure out there somewhere, she’d find it.

“Hermione? Ron? Are you home?” he called. He sat heavily on the couch, feeling suddenly very tired.

A moment later, Hermione poked her head around the doorway that led into the kitchen. The smile melted off her face as soon as she saw him, and she rushed over to him. He felt bad about how obviously worried she was, but he didn’t have the energy to soothe her worry. There probably wasn’t anything he could say to do that now anyway.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” she asked, putting a hand to his forehead like it might be anything as simple as a fever. “You look terrible.”

Harry cracked the tiniest grin. “Thanks, Hermione,” he said wryly. He shook his head when she didn’t react other than to frown at him. “Where’s Ron? I think it’s best if I just said this once.”

“I’m here!”

They both turned to see Ron coming in from outside, still dusting dirt from his hands. He’d apparently been working in the garden. His face was screwed up in worry already, and he’d barely caught sight of Harry.

“Great,” Harry said, waiting anxiously for then to both take seats.

He cleared his voice as they looked expectantly at him. This was still hard for him to believe; having to tell his best friends he was dying was even worse. But somehow he did it, starting with how he’d begun feeling sick a few weeks ago and continuing on to the final diagnosis. By the time he finished, Ron’s hands were clenched bone white on his knees and Hermione’s eyes were welling with tears.

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione wailed as soon as he stopped talking, throwing her arms around him in a crushing hug. He could feel her tears soaking into the collar of his shirt and he had to sniff back the impulse to begin crying himself.

“That’s… that’s awful, mate,” Ron said quietly, face stricken as he looked at the two of them. “What do we- I mean, isn’t there something we can do?”

Hermione pulled back, wiping her eyes, and Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. They said there isn’t anything, but we’ve done the impossible before, right?”

“Of course we have, and we’ll do it again,” Hermione said, voice far firmer than it had any right to be considering she was crying just moments before. “We’re going to find something to save you, Harry.”

***

Almost a month later, the three of them had pretty much lost that optimism. Hermione had been looking through every book she could get her hands on, some of them so old the pages threatened to crumble even as she flipped frantically through them. Ron and Harry tried to help her search, but Harry could feel himself deteriorating and it became harder and harder just to do something so simple as leaf through a book.

The three of them were sitting in Ron and Hermione’s living room, surrounded on all sides by stacks and stacks of books. Harry was halfway to falling asleep against the arm of the couch when Hermione leapt up from her seat with a ferocious grin on her face.

“I found it, I found it!” she shouted wildly.

Harry sat up with a start, eyes going wide. “You found a cure? Really?”

“I found _something_ ,” she said, flushing a little at the way he and Ron were staring at her. “There’s a plant that should be able to cure you. Cure pretty much anything, really. But… it’s hard to find and it only shows up sometimes, for people who really need it.”

“So it might not work?” Ron asked, deflating a little. “Or we might not be able to find it?”

“Yeah,” Hermione said softly. She sat heavily back in her seat, obviously distressed that her discovery might not be as amazing as she’d first thought.

“It doesn’t matter.” Hermione and Ron turned to look at Harry, confused, but he held up a hand when Hermione opened her mouth to say something. “I just mean, it doesn’t matter that it might not work. I have to try.”

“ _We_ have to try, mate,” Ron said.

Hermione nodded, distress morphing into determination. Harry couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth, even through his exhaustion. He wasn’t alone in this. They had a plan now. Hopefully they’d find that plant and he’d be cured.

***

Actually finding the plant turned out to be even more difficult than Harry had first thought. The book Hermione had found had a map, but it was possibly the most confusing map any of them had ever seen. And that included the Marauder’s Map.

They’d headed out on their quest as soon as possible, hopeful that they’d follow the map, get the plant, and cure Harry. But two weeks later, they were deep in the Himalayan mountains and none of them could figure out how much further they had to go for their goal. It didn’t help that Harry was weakening day by day and he felt like his body was becoming his worst enemy in this journey.

“Don’t you _dare_ say that, Harry Potter,” Hermione scolded when he dared air the thought. She sounded more like Molly than anyone had the right to, and he could tell from Ron’s wide eyes that he felt the same.

Harry shrugged, regretting the action as soon as he did because of the energy it took. “It’s true though,” he mumbled. “I’m going to die out here just because I’m too weak to make it to the stupid plant.”

“You’re not going to die,” Ron said sharply, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’re going to find it and you’re going to be cured and that’s that.”

Harry grumbled, but didn’t bother arguing anymore. His friends were going to stand up for him no matter what, even if they were standing up against _him_. Honestly, he figured he should be used to that by now.

Once Harry recovered a little, they continued their hike. Being out in the mountains was really an amazing experience, despite Harry’s illness. He would have very much liked to have visited the area in better health. Maybe when this was finished he’d have the chance.

He was caught up in those thoughts when he quite literally stumbled into the remains of a fire. He yelped, more in surprise than anything as he foot sunk into the sooty pile someone had left behind. Thankfully it wasn’t hot still, not with the snow that had recently started falling, but it was obvious it had been abandoned fairly recently.

“You alright, mate?” Ron asked, helping Harry out of the fire pit.

“Yeah, fine,” Harry replied distractedly. He looked around for signs of whoever had been there, wondering if he was imagining the trail that seemed to lead in the exact same direction they were headed. Strange.

After that, they started seeing more signs that they weren’t alone in the wilderness. Ron noticed footsteps in the slowly building snow. Hermione thought she felt the remnants of magic, like someone had been doing a powerful spell. With every step, they became more wary of who else could possibly be making this trek alongside them.

Just as the light started falling behind the mountain, embracing them in dusky darkness, Hermione caught sight of a fire through the trees. They approached as quietly as possible in the inch thick blanket of snow. Despite his exhaustion, Harry took point, curiosity about the identity of this person buzzing underneath his skin.

Peering between two tall pines, Harry saw a fire pit much like the one he’d accidentally fallen in earlier. Besides the fire was a figure who looked strangely familiar even in profile. He was tall with dark hair and a stern, almost arrogant look to his very attractive face. Harry stepped a little closer, footstep crunching in the snow. The figure turned to face him full on and suddenly it clicked.

“You!” Harry shouted, whipping his wand out at the same moment that Tom Riddle — Voldemort — did. But the movement unbalanced him and Harry fell heavily against the tree next to him, only just keeping a grip on his wand. He panted hard, feeling a shiver of pain make its way up his spine.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tom demanded, wand still pointed right at Harry even as a line of confusion formed between his brows.

Harry smiled a little crookedly. “I’m dying.”

There was silence for a long moment, Tom seemingly baffled by the statement. But Harry knew Tom wouldn’t feel any deceit from him. There was no point here, now. Either he’d make it to the plant and be cured or he’d die, whether from his illness or at Tom’s own hand.

Neither of them had time to say anything more before Ron and Hermione caught up, crashing through the trees to stop next to Harry. Ron moved to help him up while Hermione immediately pulled out her wand, ready to hex Tom at the slightest provocation.

“Blimey, mate, is that…” Ron asked, eyes stuck on the older man in the clearing.

Harry nodded, groaning a little as he pulled away from the tree. “Yeah,” he replied slowly, eyes catching Tom’s burning red ones. “But I don’t think we have to worry.”

“What do you mean we don’t have to worry?” Hermione asked, voice a little shrill. Her wand arm never wavered even though she was obviously quite upset by coming face to face with a Lord Voldemort who was obviously much stronger than the last time they’d faced him.

“Yes, Potter, why don’t you have to worry?” Tom asked mockingly.

“Because if you were going to kill us, you would have done something other than just stand there by now,” he replied, rolling his eyes. At is gesture, Ron helped him sit on a nearby fallen tree.

“Hmm, I suppose you’re right,” Tom said, tucking his wand away. “I’m afraid I’m far too busy to kill you at the moment.”

Ron snorted. “Too busy to kill _us_?”

“As much as it may surprise you, Weasley, _yes_ ,” Tom said haughtily. “I’m… searching for something. A plant. It-”

“Can cure anything.”

Harry felt his heart beating hard in his chest. What were the odds that the freaking Dark Lord would be on the same quest as he was? It was the kind of ridiculous bad luck he’d had for his entire life, he supposed.”

“Yes,” Tom replied, glaring at him a little suspiciously. “I suppose you’re searching it out as well? To cure yourself?”

Despite what a bad idea it sounded like even to him, Harry decided there was little if anything to lose by telling Tom the truth. Hermione and Ron might disagree, but it was his life on the line. So he followed his instinct.

It probably shouldn’t have surprised him so much that Tom seemed fascinated with Harry’s illness and the prospect of a cure from the very same plant he was hunting, assumable to ensure his immortality. Harry knew Tom was a brilliant wizard, talented and curious in all aspects of magic. This seemed to be the one thing Tom had not seen before, so of course he was interested.

Somehow, Harry spilling his guts seemed to have been just the thing to cut through the tension and animosity that still existed between them. By the time he finished, Tom was talking quite cooly with him, offering his own ideas about Harry’s illness. Most of them they had already tried or involved dark magic that Harry refused to involve himself in, but it was strangely touching nonetheless.

And somewhere in all that talking, it was decided that they should travel together. For safety, Hermione said, but Harry was pretty sure that she meant more so that she could keep an eye on Tom than anything else.

Either way, though, Harry was happy to have Tom along with them. He was good to talk to, and it made Harry feel better to not have to rely solely on Ron and Hermione any time his body betrayed him and he needed help walking or even standing. It was still a little humiliating, but Tom never mocked or belittled him for being so weak.

“You’re not weak,” Tom murmured, interrupting Harry’s thoughts as Tom was helping him navigate a rocky outcrop.

Harry frowned at him, sure he hadn’t said anything like that out loud, then sighed. He’d forgotten that Tom could read his thoughts sometimes, never having been in his presence long enough for it to be much of an issue. Now it might be, if Tom was just going to listen to his self-deprecating thoughts.

“My body is literally breaking down on me, I think that makes me weak,” Harry said, voice quiet so as not to let Hermione and Ron, just a little ahead of them, hear.

“Your body may be weak,” Tom conceded, “but _you_ are not.”

Harry flushed a little, feeling unaccountably flustered, especially when the hand Tom had on his lower back didn’t move even as they got past the rocks. “If you say so,” he muttered.

They continued traveling, still unsure of how far they had to go. Tom had a map that was slightly different from the one Hermione had found, which Harry found both confusing and infuriating. He was tired. He just wanted to get to that stupid plant.

He could tell Tom was anxious to get to the plant as well, though he was good at hiding it. Harry found himself wondering sometimes what would happen when they found what they were looking for. He supposed he would be cured and Tom would get his immortality and then… And then what? They would go back to being mortal enemies?

Harry felt his heart clench painfully at the thought. Over the past week, he’d come to like Tom a lot. Like him in ways that he knew he really shouldn’t. But here, out in the wild, Tom was kind and helpful and smart. Harry might have been reluctant to say how attractive he’d found Tom ever since seeing him in second year, but now that attraction had grown to something far more serious. He only hoped that Ron and Hermione hadn’t noticed.

And he _really_ hoped that Tom hadn’t read his mind. Because that was certain to end with him dead.

***

They’d been out in the mountains for over a month. Harry felt weaker than ever and he was beginning to wonder if he’d even survive until they found the plant. If they didn’t find it soon, he was sure he wouldn’t.

Then one day, in the middle of all the trees and snow banks, they found a cave. As soon as she saw it, Hermione lit up, shouting at them to move faster. The cave was marked on both of their maps as the end of their journey. Somewhere in its depths was the plant they were seeking.

Tom raced ahead, the other three of them just trying their best to keep up. Despite the rush of adrenaline at finally being so close to the goal, Harry felt his feet stumble, keeping him from speeding ahead like he so wanted to.

Eventually they made it to an area where the cave opened up into a large space, no longer so dark thanks to a shaft at the center that bathed it in golden light. On the far side Tom was standing, staring down at a single plant. Its leaves were tinted blue, leading up to a beautiful white flower that seemed to glow in the light coming down from above.

Harry started forward, but was caught by a hand on his arm. He turned to see Hermione looking at him with something like pity. He stopped, sudden anxiety making his heart race.

“Harry,” she whispered, voice suddenly high with fear. “I thought there’d be more. You need the _whole_ plant for the cure to work.”

The bottom seemed to drop from Harry’s stomach, leaving him feeling empty and cold. This was everything he’d been too afraid to think of come true. Tom would take the plant and live forever and Harry… well, he would die.

He watched Tom lean down and pluck the plant from the ground, the only sound he could hear his own blood rushing in his ears. Tom stared at the plant for several immeasurably long moments then straightened up and headed toward the exit. Toward them.

“Here.”

Harry blinked, hard, looking down to see Tom holding the plant out to him. He didn’t understand what was going on, but on impulse, he reached out and took the plant before looking up at Tom’s face. The older man’s face was carefully blank like he was trying not to show what he was thinking.

“What… what’s this?” Harry managed to get out.

“It’s for you,” Tom said, voice low. He took a deep breath, giving the faintest hint of a smile. “I do believe you need it more than I do.”

Before Harry could come up with a reply, Tom stepped past him and back out toward the entrance to the cave. For a moment, all Harry could do was stare after him, even as Hermione pulled at his arm, eager to start the spell that would cure him.

“Sorry, sorry,” he muttered, blindly shoving the plant in her direction. She took it and he headed off after Tom.

He caught up with Tom just outside the mouth of the cave. He stopped there, leaning on the rocky wall to catch his breath, panting loudly. Tom turned at the noise, eyebrows raising when he saw Harry standing there.

“What are you doing?” Tom demanded, stepping back to guide Harry down to a sitting position. “You’re supposed to be getting cured now, not running off after me.”

“I needed to see,” Harry said when he could speak.

“See _what_?”

Harry smiled up at him, feeling unaccountably fond about Tom snapping at him like that. He’d learned over the weeks that it meant the older wizard cared. If he didn’t care, he wouldn’t waste the effort.

“Why you gave me the plant,” Harry told him. “You could have taken it and been immortal. Why didn’t you?”

“I told you,” Tom said a little gruffly. He turned around, hiding his face from Harry’s view. “You need it to cure you. I couldn’t… I couldn’t take that from you.”

Carefully, his heart feeling like it was in his throat, Harry stood up and reached out to touch Tom’s arm. Tom turned back, eyebrows furrowed, and Harry felt his breath catch. This man who he’d fought for his whole life had given up everything for him. That had to mean something. He hoped it meant what he thought it meant.

Harry reached up and took Tom’s face in both of his hands, going up on his toes until he was tall enough that he could press a kiss to Tom’s mouth. He honestly expected Tom to push him away immediately, so he was surprised when Tom immediately melted into the kiss, his own hands coming up to grab Harry’s hips.

When they finally pulled apart, Harry’s eyes fluttered open. He hadn’t even realized they’d been closed before, too caught up in the best kiss he’d ever had to think of anything else. There were red spots high on Tom’s cheeks, and Harry was sure he wasn’t doing much better.

“That’s why,” Tom whispered, and Harry huffed out a laugh. Yeah, he got that now. “So don’t put my sacrifice to waste. Go back in there.”

Harry nodded, then reached down to entwine his fingers with Tom’s, pulling him back inside the cave. “Only if you come with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Concrit welcome. If you like my fic, feel free to come hit me up [on tumblr](http://voldiebuns.tumblr.com/)!


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